Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, “Make it look good!” That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

We at funeralOne stand behind the importance of design. In fact, we see it as the magic sauce of our client success.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your next website redesign, check out these five epic funeral home website designs, and WHY their brilliant:

The bright, beautifully lit homepage photo draws you in and captures your attention within seconds.

Without having to click or scroll, you already know what Greenwood Funeral does really well with their heading that says ”Welcome to a trusted place to celebrate life and honor every memory.”

They make it easy for families to trust their choice with social proof on their homepage that says “9 out of 10 people say planning ahead with us was the best decision they could make.”

They highlight the emotional benefits that they know their services offer families. For example, in the pre-planning section of their homepage, they highlight the emotional benefits of “a guaranteed end-of-life request”, “save money” and “piece of mind.”

Haisley Funeral Homes website puts their excellent customer service at the front and center.

Why it’s brilliant:

Haisley Funeral Home is one of our favorite funeral home websites because of their above-and-beyond customer service their site demonstrates.

Haisley creates a tribute video for some of their families and uploads it onto the loved one’s tribute wall (see picture below to see an example of a tribute wall). In that way, it serves as a permanent memento for friends, family and community to remember the loved one as the weeks, months and years pass.

Speaking of tribute walls, Haisley Funeral Home also gets really involved in the online process of remembering the loved one using this tool on their site. They do their best to respond to the comments on their tribute walls, letting their families know that they’re aim is to truly be a source of support and care.

As a result of this, the tributes published on Haisley’s website get really great interaction from the community. And this, to us, is where we see a huge opportunity for funeral homes to offer immeasurable value to families!

Here is an example of a tribute wall. To see an example of a live tribute wall on Haisley’s website, click the image above!

Pray Funeral Home is known for their unprecedented value in the personalized services department, and their website does a beautiful job of demonstrating that, particularly on this “unique services” page.

We love all the ideas that Pray Funeral Homes offers, and how they showcase them in a visual and engaging way. Using photos and videos of real services, they really open up your mind and heart to all the possibilities for celebrating life.

We also love the story that is weaved throughout this page. Everybody loves a good story, and instead of simply listing service ideas, Pray Funeral Home tells the story behind each one, using specific examples of how that service impacted the family and honored the life lived.

Last but not least, Pray Funeral Home is very socially connected, as you can see at the bottom of their website. They use social media to highlight the loved ones lives they’re helping families honor, as well as promote the workshops and events they offer. This makes them a very community-oriented funeral home. And that’s what creates trust and certainty for their families when they choose Pray Funeral Home.

What makes Schoedinger’s funeral home website so special is their inclusiveness of their events page, making their potential client families feel welcomed immediately

Why it’s brilliant:

The magic of Schoedinger’s website lies in their community page. The first thing you’ll notice is how inclusive they are, by headlining their events page with “You’re Invited”. This opens up their audience to their entire community – not just the families they serve.

We also love that Schoedinger invites you to create your own event at their event space. This gives their website visitors the idea that Schoedinger is more than just a funeral home; this page communicates that their space truly embodies the idea of community.

Lastly, the true testament of a brilliant website design is that it is always changing! We have been working with Schoedinger for years and years. Through our work, they have been completely committed to updating their funeral home website frequently enough to keep up with the needs of their current client families.

Sytsema Funeral Home is very socially active, letting their community know that they’re adaptable as well as an important resource for their client families.

Why it’s brilliant:

To see a funeral home using the power of blogging to attract client families and build trust, is inspiring! Blogging is a powerful way to become a resource for your potential client families. It showcases your thought leadership on the topics you live to offer.

The blog topics they feature are clearly client-focused. You can tell these blogs were written to answer questions their families are actually asking, making their website a helpful resource for their community.

We also love how socially connected Sytsema’s website is. Near the bottom of the site, you’ll see they use Facebook, Twitter.

They also provide a way for families to subscribe to their blog. This lets clients know that they’re adaptive to the modern families of today (which is still a gold standard in the funeral industry) by using the social channels that their families are using everyday.

Lastly, we love Sytsema’s website because they make it really easy to contact them. Since 70% of small business websites lack a clear call-to-action, it’s nice to see that Sytsema lists their phone number on the top right hand corner of their website. That way, no one has to click a button or search for their contact information to actually get a hold of them.

Get a beautiful funeral home website to call your own

Your funeral home can have a website this epic, too. If you’re interested in learning more about the f1Connect website platform, reach out to one of our Funeral Success Specialists today!

What do you LOVE about your funeral home website? Tell us in the comments below!